Condemning the sentencing of a senior journalist by Myanmar government for publishing investigative stories about a chemical weapons factory, the US on Saturday said it is ‘concerned’ about the decision that “sends the wrong message about Burma’s commitment to freedom of expression”.

“We are very concerned by reports that journalists and the CEO of the newspaper United Weekly News were sentenced to 10 years of hard labor for publishing investigative stories about a weapons factory,” State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Friday.

Noting that this is a critical element of a vibrant and well-functioning democracy, Psaki urged the Myanmar government to continue that trend and respect the rights of all media persons.

“The sentence sends the wrong message about Burma’s commitment to freedom of expression, including for the press. The Burmese Government has made tremendous progress in the last three years working to develop an environment conducive to free, fair, independent media,” he added.